Does Cannabis help those suffering from HIV/AIDS?

Cannabis and HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS is the most serious health concern in South Africa. The country has the fourth-highest adult HIV prevalence rate in the world, according to the 2016 United Nations statistics.

Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a disease that attacks the body’s immune system (natural defense system) by killing protective white blood cells. Over time, HIV reduces the number of white blood cells in the body which makes it harder for the body to fight off infections. As the defensive system weakens, other harmful infections, called “opportunistic infections,” take advantage of a compromised immune system. Meningitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea, and cancers are some examples of these infections. If not treated, the advancement of HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, the most severe phase of HIV infection.

A major breakthrough has occurred in the decades-long fight against HIV/AIDS and it has to do with (you guessed it) cannabis. Since the beginning, medical cannabis has been used as a treatment for patients with HIV and we’re just beginning to discover the tip of the iceberg. Cannabinoid-based therapies could help lead the way.

Robert L Cook, professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, recently announced he is leading a 400 person study to scrutinize marijuana’s effects on people living with HIV. The five year, $3.2 million study is believed to be the largest of its kind, and will look not only at marijuana’s impact on the brains of HIV patients, but also whether the drug is able to help suppress the virus. Cook will also account for the specific amount of marijuana consumed or inhaled by participants, as well as the amount of THC and cannabinoids in those doses – something he said other researchers haven’t been able to do.

The research showed that those who used marijuana had a lower amount of the virus in their blood compared to those who didn’t use marijuana. That’s a good thing if there is a lower amount of the virus. But I haven’t seen any clinical trials looking at the direct effects of THC on the virus. We also don’t have a lot research comparing THC alone versus THC and CBD on people with HIV.

As for using the cannabis plant for its therapeutic effects, 2014 research showed that activation of cannabinoid receptors actually inhibits inflammation in the brain among people with HIV because it prevents the virus from attaching to cells.

Currently, Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is used to treat HIV infection by preventing its multiplication and spread throughout the body. HIV dampens the immune system, making it much simpler for the body to develop leukemia, cancer, pneumonia, liver failure and other life-threatening conditions.

While ART has been effective for patients, HIV treatment requires taking a regimen of pills and costs are steep, particularly for those in poor countries like South Africa.

In other words, HIV users who use cannabis are likely to have prevented their condition from worsening. This is due to the fact that pDC’s are immune cells that circulate in the blood.

Once HIV is acquired, these cells do not respond as well to fighting foreign pathogens. THC suppresses the functionality of the compromised immune system brought on by HIV, which can halt its progression into AIDS.

This is great news for the medical cannabis community as well as HIV patients; many of whom are already using cannabis to alleviate nausea, pain, the loss of appetite and other side effects. Patients may not only reap the therapeutic benefits of cannabis but it can also prolong or save their lives.

The top benefits of using Cannabis/Cannabis Oil for HIV/AIDS.

Anti-nausea

Mood-improving/Antidpressant

Analgesic

Reduces peripheral neuropathy

Helps stimulate appetite and prevent weight loss

Provides Chronic pain relief

Helps combat insomnia

The estimated overall HIV prevalence rate is approximately 12,6% among the South African population. The total number of people living with HIV is estimated at approximately 7,06 million in 2017. For adults aged 15–49 years, an estimated 18,0% of the population is HIV positive.

Do you or someone you know use Cannabis or Cannabis oil in South Africa to help treat their HIV/AIDS?

The endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating balance in our body’s immune response, communication between cells, appetite and metabolism, memory, and more. In spite of the integral role this system takes on, until recently it remained an unknown part of the human body’s functions. Read more here.

What is the “Entourage Effect”?

Cannabis contains over 113 cannabinoids, over 200 terpenes, and hundreds of other chemical compounds.

These compounds work together to produce a synergistic effect known as the “entourage effect”.

Cannabidiol, CBD, is one of at least 113 naturally occurring cannabinoids found in cannabis plants.

CBD does not appear to have any psychoactive effects such as those caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and it may have a downregulating impact on disordered thinking and anxiety. Read more here.

What is THC?

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for the “High” effect. But is THC only used for recreational purposes? Or does THC also offer medicinal benefits for people who are using cannabis and/or cannabis oil in South Africa? Read more here.